The delay raises question marks over whether the launch of formal peace talks on ending the deadly conflict in the eastern DRC will go ahead as planned in Doha on Friday.
Under a deal reached in Qatar last month, the two sides had agreed to thrash out a package of measures, including a prisoner exchange mechanism, ahead of Friday's planned launch.
"Both sides are still working with support from Qatar to implement the terms outlined in the Declaration of Principles," the official told AFP, referring to the July 23 deal.
"This includes ongoing negotiations to establish a mechanism... for the exchange of prisoners, which has taken longer than initially anticipated," the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of talks.
The DR Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 agreed to a ceasefire as part of the July deal, which the official said had held, even though both sides stand accused of violations.
"Progress is being made and once there is an agreement on (the prisoner exchange mechanism), implementation of the deal is expected to pick up pace," the official said.
While the official said the ceasefire between DR Congo forces and the M23 agreed in Doha had held, clashes have continued between militias affiliated with the DR Congo government and the Rwanda-backed rebels.
On Thursday, M23 official Bertrand Bisimwa decried "massive and repeated violations of the ceasefire" by Kinshasa, and threatened retaliation.
On Wednesday, UN human rights chief Volker Turk condemned M23 for killing at least 319 civilians in eastern DRC in July.
The official with knowledge of the negotiations said it was "unclear" whether peace talks would begin on Friday as planned..
Bisimwa said neither M23 nor its political wing the AFC had been invited to a fresh round of talks in Doha.
The July deal signed in Doha followed an earlier, separate peace agreement between the Congolese and Rwandan governments inked in Washington in June.
The M23 had insisted on seeking its own peace deal with Kinshasa, saying the DRC-Rwanda agreement left out issues that still needed to be addressed.
Previous ceasefire agreements for eastern DRC have collapsed.
Neighbouring Rwanda denies providing military backing to the M23, but UN experts say the Rwandan army played a "critical" role in an offensive which saw the rebels capture the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year.
ICC unseals Libya war crimes warrant for militia officer
The Hague (AFP) Aug 8, 2025 -
The International Criminal Court on Friday unsealed an arrest warrant for a Libyan militia member accused of war crimes including murder and torture between 2016 and 2017.
The court said there were "reasonable grounds to believe" that Saif Suleiman Sneidel was responsible for war crimes of murder, torture and "outrages upon personal dignity".
The November 2020 warrant found "reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Sneidel participated in three executions where a total of 23 people were murdered", the ICC's prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The crimes were allegedly committed in Benghazi or surrounding areas, in Libya, on or before June 3, 2016 until on or about July 17, 2017.
The prosecutor's office said Sneidel's arrest warrant had been issued under seal to "maximise arrest opportunities" and to minimise risks to the criminal investigation.
"For this reason, no details of the application or warrant could be provided until this stage," it said.
The decision to make it public followed a second application by the prosecutor's office to "increase prospects for arrest".
"We hope to create the momentum for Mr Sneidel's arrest and surrender," said deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said.
"The Court can now discuss issues related to possible arrest with States, the UN Security Council, and the international community at large, fostering support and cooperation."
- Group 50 -
Sneidel is believed to have been serving in Group 50, a sub-unit of the Al-Saiqa Brigade led by the the late Libyan commander, Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli.
Prior to his death, Al-Werfalli was the subject of two ICC arrest warrants for eight executions in Benghazi, three of which the prosecution alleges Sneidel took part in.
"The prosecution alleges that Mr Sneidel was a close associate of Mr Al-Werfalli, and had an important leadership role alongside him in the Al-Saiqa Brigade," the statement said.
The ICC has been investigating atrocities in Libya since 2011, following a referral from the United Nations Security Council.
The ICC also confirmed that another Libyan suspect, Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, had been arrested by German authorities on July 16, 2025 for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
He remains in custody in Germany pending legal proceedings.
Libya has faced years of instability, militia violence and fractured government since Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011 near his hometown of Sirte during the Arab Spring uprising.
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